The Most Tender
by flowersdontfear
Summary: Derek Hale was a king, and cruel and unyielding Alpha . He was kind to neither wolf nor human. Perhaps the closest to an exception is one of his own servants, his mate, Stiles. After slaughtering many in war, punishing his own kinsman, and sentencing his own knights to death, Derek is able to go home and his most kind to Stiles. Kingdom!AU. Slight dubcon, Don't like, don't read!


Stiles had it rough. He was a servant, to the king, who was an Alpha Werewolf. Okay, he was being over dramatic. It really wasn't as harsh and grueling as the negative connotation would imply. Stiles was given three meals. allowed baths, and supplied with clothes. He had even been born into it, so all Stiles had to worry about was fulfilling his duties and he would be safe. And today was no different. The adolescent woke at the crack of dawn and first tended to the chickens. He fed them and was minimally attacked by the hellish birds. Then he collected the eggs, only cracking one in the process. Then Stiles aided in the kitchen, humming as he both cooked and cleaned, and he only slipped twice with this task. Stiles continued in there until about noon, when he went to tend to the garden. In the process of trimming he pricked his finger with a thorn. He let out an exhausted sigh. It was going to be one of those days.

Stiles decided to ignore the drop of blood that fell upon the rose, and carried on with menials tasks, things that he was almost positive he couldn't mess up. He paid extra concentration to each duty to prevent messing it up. The last thing he needed was a punishment.

* * *

Derek was supposed to choose a wife today, it was a very important day. The entire castle had to be pristine because he would be visited by many potential partners from various kingdoms, in hopes of forming allies. Derek had yet to find a mate, and now his own country used this as an opportunity to have a political marriage. The whole idea had Derek on edge. He was on edge, skittish even. But his temper, it was really revealing itself. Derek was a stern, even heartless man. He acted on instinct in most situations, and as an Alpha some instincts could be considered primitive. And the idea of a union between he and someone who wasn't his mate disgusted him. Granted, he had many concubines in his bed chambers, but that was different. None were long term, and none were his mate.

Derek's mind craved to escape his royal duties, and somehow he came upon the decision to tour his gardens. After entering he immediately found an unfamiliar scent. He spent some time playing hot and cold with his nose as he investigated the source of the scent, before, _Ahah_, he had discovered it. On one single rose there was a drop of blood, not even that visible, but a drop no less. It completely threw off the balance of scents and he was positive he wasn't the only one to realize it. He rose his hand and gestured the nearest guard near. Once he was near, Derek could smell the fear the guard emitted, it was amusing, but not what he wanted. Derek would have to find the vandal.

"Bring me the servant who gardened this morning." He spoke in a gruff, stern, way that implied that there would be punishment. Derek was in a mood, he might even just kill the servant on the spot. Derek formulated what would be the proper punishment as he walked to his throne and leant back lazily. Only moments later he heard the servant arguing from yards away,

* * *

"I really would say you are over reacting." Stiles griped as he felt a pair of hands under each of his arms from both the guards. Stiles rolled his eyes as he was lifted and dragged toward a section of the castle he had never been permitted to. This was ridiculous, Stiles wasn't aware what he was being punished for. He had just messed up on so much. Perhaps it was the glass he broke. He was sure he would just be yelled at by the head of the servants, but he had never been dragged there in such a way. This was one hell of a way to reprimand a boy.

Then Stiles was plopped on the ground, his knees ached immediately. But he tried not to whine, instead he just gasped and looked up to see who he was presented before. Stiles had only seen portraits before, but he was most certain that _this man_ was the king. That was just perfect. He was going to meet the king under such circumstances. Whatever Stiles had done, must have made this man livid, because his nostrils flared and his eyebrows knitted in a frown. Stiles only swallowed his nervousness and sat up properly.  
"Leave." Stiles flinched at the words, but the were directed at the guards, oh how he craved to be those guards.

"Do you know why you have been brought here?" Derek managed to say through his gritted teeth. This boys scent overwhelmed him. It was kin to something sweet. Not sickly sweet like a cider, but not quite as bland as a strawberry. But the scent was laced with fear and it made the most beautiful combination. His eyes flashed red and immediately looked at the boy in a most disrespectful sense, though, he could care less. He had porcelain pale skin, and a thin frame that pleased him very much. Alone with those frighted brown eyes, this boy was probably the most delicious looking servant he had seen yet.

"Uh..Your Majesty, was it the glass I broke earlier." Stiles licked his lips anxiously as he fidgeted with his hands. Stiles's heartbeat was rapid, and he realized it, so he tried his very best to slow it down. He allowed himself to breathe out his nose as he pursed his lips.

"Oh no. You did that? Well that will just add to your punishment then, won't it?" Stiles nearly choked on his own tongue. The youth's eyes widened and met the red glowing ones above him, only to quickly avert them. "No, you did something that bothers me quite a bit. I went out to enjoy the sweet scents that were meant to fill my garden, but what do I smell instead? Your blood."

Derek's expression becomes one only a predator could match. The seriousness in his tone sent shivers down Stiles's spine.

"Your Majesty, I apologize, I just-" And suddenly he felt a slap across his face. There was an immediate stinging on his tender cheek, but he tried not to make a noise, instead he only winced.

"Enough, I expect to see you in my bed chambers tonight, no excuses." Derek nearly hissed as he stood up and and left the room.

Stiles on the other hand was frozen. He was shocked with the turn his live had taken. Later tonight Stiles will most likely return to his bedroom with out his virtue- and that terrified him. Stiles wanted to lose himself in passion, not punishment. But alas, fate had other plans.


End file.
